China confirms 'eternal friendship' with Russia and seeks role in Ukraine talks
Photo: Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi (Getty Images)
China has confirms the principle of eternal friendship with Russia. Beijing would also like to take an active part in resolving the "Ukrainian crisis" (as China calls Russia's war against Ukraine), China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi stated.
Forever friends
"The principle of 'forever friends and never enemies,' enshrined in the China-Russia Treaty on Good-Neighborliness, Friendship, and Cooperation, serves as a strong legal foundation for advancing strategic cooperation," Wang Yi said.
Wang Yi is on a three-day visit to Moscow for talks on strategic cooperation.
China and Russia announced a "no-limits" strategic partnership just days before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
Over the past decade, Chinese President Xi Jinping has met with Vladimir Putin more than 40 times. Since then, they have agreed to deepen ties and cooperate on issues such as Taiwan, Ukraine, and their shared rivalry with the United States.
Wang Yi stated that the current global conditions require major powers to act as stabilizing forces, and he welcomed steps taken by Russia and the U.S. to improve relations.
Wang Yi also dismissed the idea that U.S. President Donald Trump is trying to support Russia to turn it against China, condemning such notions as a "relapse into outdated confrontational and bloc-based thinking."
Negotiations on Ukraine
Wang said that recent talks on a ceasefire in Ukraine have already yielded some results and should continue despite differing perspectives and the complex battlefield situation.
He added that a peace agreement must be binding and acceptable to all parties, reiterating that Beijing is ready to play its role in resolving the "conflict in Ukraine."
Xi Jinping has been pushing for greater Chinese involvement in peace negotiations since the early days of the war, which marked its third anniversary in February. Beijing has proposed general principles for ending the war, independently and jointly with Brazil, but its ideas have been met with lukewarm reception.
"We advocate for addressing the root causes of the crisis through dialogue and negotiations, ultimately reaching a fair, long-term, binding peace agreement acceptable to all parties involved—one that would achieve truly lasting peace and stability in Eurasia and the world," Wang said.
With this statement, he essentially echoed Moscow’s stance, which insists that to end the war, its "root causes" must be addressed—meaning the existence of a sovereign Ukraine.
According to a poll by the Razumkov Center, most Ukrainians consider China a hostile country. The only countries viewed more negatively by Ukrainians are Russia and its allies — Iran, Belarus, and North Korea.
Only 22% of Ukrainians trust China as a mediator in possible negotiations between Ukraine and Russia, while 62% are unwilling to entrust Beijing with such mediation.
